Music-leaf turner.



No. 738,298. I PATENTBD SEPT. a, 1903. A. 1). CRIIST.

MUSIC LEAP TURNER.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 2. 1903.

X0 MODEL. 2 BHEBTSfSHEET 1.

1" ill .MIIHIHIIHm.

(11 Q I v I 'ummmmnll No. 738,298. PATENTED SEPT. s, 1903.

A. 1). (mm.

MUSIC LEAF TURNER.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 2. 1903. no 10mm. 2 annms-snnm 2.

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Patented September 8, 1903.

PATENT OFFICE.

ALFRED D. CRIST, OF VANWERT, OHIO.

MUSIC-LEAF TURNER.

:PIEGIFIGATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 738,298, datedSeptember 8, 1903. 1

Application ma April 2, 1903. Serial 110.150.2201. (N model.)

To all whom zitmmg concern:

Beit known that I, ALFRED D. CRIST, a citizen of the United States,residing at Vanwert, in the county of Van lVert and State of Ohio, haveinvented a new and useful Music-Leaf Turner, of which the following is aspecification.

This invention relates to devices for turning the leaves or sheets ofmusic, whereby the hands of the performer are left free to manipulatethe instrument.

The object of the invention is to simplify and improve devices of thischaracter and to increase their efficiency without increased expense orcomplication of parts and to provide a device which may be placed on anordinary music-rack of any kind.

The invention consists in certain novel features of the construction ashereinafter shown and described, and specified in the claim.

In the drawings illustrative of the invention in which correspondingparts are denoted by like designating characters, Figure 1 is a frontelevation of the improved apparatus. Fig. 2 is an end elevation. Fig. isa bottom plan view with the cover of the spring-easing removed. Fig. lis a transverse section of the sheet-clamp on the line 4 a of Fig. 1.Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the outer end of one of the swingingarms. Fig. 6 is a transverse sectionon the line 6 6 of Fig. 1. Fig. '7is a detail, partiallyin section, of the trip mechanism. Fig. 8 is adetail of the casing-supporting stud.

The improved device may be attached to the music-rack of a piano, organ,or other musical instrument having music-racks attached or to portablemusic stands or easels, and for the purpose of illustration a section ofa conventional form of an ordinarymusicrack is indicated at 10, upon theshelf of which the improved device rests.

The improved device consists of a supportin g-frame or back plate 12,resting by its lower end upon the shelf of the music-rack of theinstrument and having a supplemental shelf 13 for the music, either insheet or book form, as will be obvious.

The shelf 13 is provided with a stop 14, extending longitudinallythereof and serving to hold the lower edges of the music away from theplate 12 in position to be engaged by the operating arms or fingers.

Attached in a vertical position centrally of the back plate 12 is thestationary member 15 of a clamp device for holding the back edges ofsheetmusic, the movable jaw member being shown at 16 and movablyconnected to the stationary jaw, as by pivot-pins 17, and supported inyieldable position relative to the stationary jaw by springs 18. Themovable j aw 16 is provided with a thumb-plate 19, ex tending laterallytherefrom and by which it is operative, and the stationary jaw 15 isprovided with an extension or foot 20, by which it is secured to theplate 12, as by screws or other means. The foot-plate 20 is providedwith an elongated aperture 21, having one end enlarged, as at 22, andwith a lateral offset 23 at the opposite end, the offset being the samewidth as the body of the aperture, as shown.

Movably connected, as by pivot 24, to the foot member 20 is a hook 25,having its recess 26 adapted to register with the offset 23 when closed.Extending from the rack 10 is a stud 27, having an enlarged head 28, thehead corresponding to'the larger portion 22 of the aperture, and thebody 27 of the stud corresponding to the body of the aperture and theoffset 23. By this simple arrangement it will be obvious that by passingthe enlarged end 22 over the head28 of the stud and moving the plate 12and its attachments downward and then laterally to cause the shank ofthe stud to enter the offset 23and closing the hook 25, with its recess26, over the shank and behind the head 28 the improved device will befirmly and quickly locked to the rack 10, but easily releasabletherefrom by simply opening the hook 25.

Attached to the plate 12, at opposite sides of the clamp member 15 16,are horizontal bars 29 30, extending beyond the plate and provided withslidable clips 31 32, the bars providing supports for the music-sheetsor musicbooks and the clipsadapted to engage the covers of the books andhold them open. The clips will also be convenient for holding the firstand last leaves of the sheet-music, if required. The bars 29 30 willpreferably be located in a line intermediate of the ends of the clampmeans15 16 and will be provided with upwardly-extending wire supports 11for the upper parts of the music-sheets and in substantial verticalalinement with the outer faces of the bars.

The stop 14 will be provided with a vertical central cavity 33 inalinement with the clamp members 15 10 to receive the lower ends of thebacks of the music-sheets, so that the whole of the lower edges of thesheets of music will engage the shelf 13 and rest thereon.

Extending centrally from the lower surface of the shelf 13 is a stud 34,having a longitudinal groove or channel 35, and with its outer endthreaded, as shown. Superimposed upon this stud 34: are a plurality ofshallow cylindrical casings closed at one end and open at the other endand each provided with a cleft in its rim, as shown in Fig. 3. Thecasings are rotatively mounted upon the stud by means of centralapertures in their closed ends and will be arranged with the closed endof each casing next to the open end of the adj aeent casing, as shown.Extending from each casing is an arm terminating in a leafengaging clip,as shown. As many of the easings and their arms may be employed asdesired; but for the purpose of illustration three of each are shown,the casings being denoted by the characters 36, 37, and 3S and theirrespective arms by the characters 39 a0 41, as shown. A closingcap-plate 4:2 will be employed over the outermost casing and held inplace by a clamp-nut l3 upon the threaded end of the stud. By thissimple means the casings are all held rotatively in position. Each ofthe casings will be provided with a cleft in its rim, preferably next toits extending arm, one of which is indicated at 44 in Fig.

The arms 39 40 n are of increasing lengths, the uppermost arm being thelongest and provided, respectively, with spring-clips 45 46 47, adaptedfor connection with the sheets of music. By thus arranging the arms ofgraduated lengths the clips can be arranged partially underlapping toenable the leaves to lie in closer relations both when opened and closedand also to render the clips more accessible to the performer.

Within each of the casings 36 37 38 a coiled spring 54 is disposed withone end in the channel 35 and the other in the cleft 44 in the casing.The springs thus exert their force to throw the arms and their clipsfrom left to right in the direction in which it is desired to turn theleaves.

Each of the arms 39 a0 41 is provided with a depending lip or lug,(denoted, respectively, at 48, 49, and 50,) and at the right side of theshelf 13 are spring-catches 51 52 53 in the paths of the lips and withwhich they are gle bracket or head 57 and will each have its ownindependent spring, so that it may be independently actuated. By thissimple arrangement it will be obvious that any piece of music cohtainingthree or more leaves may be set by its back edge between the clampjaws15 1G and the sheets to be turned connected, respectively, to the clips45, 4G, and 4L7 and then turned over until the lips on the arms engagethe catches. Then a mere touch by the performer upon the keys on thecatches will release the arms consecutively and permit the springs inthe casings to throw the arms over, carrying the music-sheet with it,thus turning the sheet. The movement necessary to operate thereleasing-keys will not be sufficient to interfere with the playing, andwill not, therefore, be noticeable to the listeners or otherwiseinterfere with the performance. \Vhen employed to turn the leaves inmusic-books, the action and mode of operation is the same except thatthe clamp member 15 16 will not be required, the covers of the bookbeing held by the clips 31 32 upon the bars 29 30, as before stated.

The whole structure is very simple, easily.

applied, and may be employed in any locality where music is to besupported and turned during the performance.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim is A music-leaf turnercomprising a supporting-frame, a plate connected to said frame andhaving the stationary jaw member of a leaf-clamp extending therefrom,the movable jaw member of the clamping means movr bly connected to saidstationary jaw member, springs disposed to maintain said movable jawmember in yieldable position, said plate having an elongated apertureenlarged at one end and with a lateral extension at the other end, astud extending from the music-rack and having an enlarged headcorresponding to the enlarged end of said aperture, and a hook movablyconnected to said plate and engaging said stud beneath its head to lockit into the lateral extension in said aperture, substantially asspecified.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixedmy signature in the presence of two witnesses.

A. D. ORIST. lVitnesses:

G. II. WVAPPNER, S. W. LONG.

ICC

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